Think Fast - The Racer's Why-To Guide to Winning, was
written by one of the forces behind the successes at Swift Engineering, Neil
Roberts. Think Fast was first published by the author in 2010,
with the most recent edition published June 5, 2012 which can be purchased
directly from the author (ISBN 1451558759;
MSRP $30; http://thinkfastbook.com/).

Think Fast is a collection of Neil Roberts' insights, as a winning SCCA
open wheel racer, professional race team engineer (CART) and aerospace
engineer. Roberts explores decision-making and time management issues involved
with creating and managing a winning racing effort.

The author addresses four major topical areas in this book -- driving skills,
the mental game, automobile tuning, and engineering. Chapters include
helpful illustrations and graphs that communicate very effectively.

Included are tips on autocross & track driving, race car set-ups,
engineering dos & don'ts, and race team management; however, this
"why-to" softcover could be an inspirational how-to guide for any
process-oriented business effort or an individual exploring promising routes to
a directed, successful life.

Sections of Think Fast may appear to target engineering-minded race car
developers who expect to drive, but they are finessed to allow the
non-technical reader to easily understand the dynamic forces involved with each
of the automobile subsystems discussed.

I was enlightened by the author's concepts on becoming a winning thinker,
person, team member, and controller of one's own destiny. Neil Roberts
effectively communicated nuggets of information he gleaned over a multi-faceted
career in competition combined with humor and personal situational anecdotes.

Some of the more compelling and/or enjoyable concepts covered in Think Fast
are:

-- "If you are looking for an employee who will get the job done on time
every time, who will take full responsibility and pride in the results that he
or she produces, and who considers exceeding your expectations to be standard
practice, HIRE A RACER."

-- Under Right Of Way - "The car in front of you owns the entire width
of the track , even if you are along side, and even if you are about to lap
that car. The car in front of you has the right to use any and all of the
track, the curbs, and the grass, so any contact is your fault. The instant that
the nose of your car edges ahead of the nose of the other car by one micron,
the roles reverse. Now you own the entire width of the track, and you can drive
anywhere you want."

-- "If your car starts to feel like a faithful servant, you are not
driving it hard enough."

-- "There is an easy way to tell whether or not a race car part is too
heavy. I you let go of it and it falls down, it's too heavy."

-- "It is just as easy to calculate laps per pound as it is miles per
gallon."

-- "The voice of reason has a very hard time competing with the volume
of nonsense in the paddock."

-- "Never carry anything around in your head that you can carry around
in your trunk."

-- "Despite the title of this book, "Think Slowly" is much
better advise when it comes to making handling changes. It takes some effort to
take the time to stop, sit down, close your eyes, and think it [the problem]
through carefully before you make any race car development decisions."

-- “It takes some effort to separate your ego from the value that your
idea offers. People should be treated with respect. Ideas should be beaten to
within an inch of their lives. The good ones survive by demonstrating real
added value to the program."

-- "Everyone reports to someone, and the boss reports to the customers.
If the boss forgets that, disaster is guaranteed."

-- "Given the colossal effort that is required to finish first, it
should be completely obvious that victory is earned, not won. Victory is the
goal that we all strive for, but it's only one result of many other things that
must be earned on the way there."

Neil Roberts knows how to communicate ideas through the written word. If this
were just another book written by an engineer, for engineers, watching paint
dry might be a better choice of pursuit than Roberts' Think Fast -The
Racer's Why-To Guide To Winning. This book is recommended reading for
anyone focused on improving their understanding of making cars fast, and on a
much larger level, honing one's process-oriented thinking for other, more
important tasks encountered through a life lived well.

A lot has changed with the IndyCar Series event at Sonoma raceway:
new cars, new engine manufacturers, new track layout, new race sponsor,
new race distance … but please do not these facts cloud your impression
of familiarity.

Penske Racing and Penske affiliates fill the first two rows of the
grid on the track here at Sears Point north of San Francisco. Penske
Racing’s Will Power (P1- IICS Season Points) captured pole and he will
line up next to teammate Ryan Briscoe followed by Jay Penske’s Dragon
Racing’s Sébastien Bourdais, Penske Racing’s Helio Castroneves (P3 –
IICS Season Points), and Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon (P4 – IICS
Season Points). Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay (P2 – IICS Season
Points) will start from the seventh position on the grid.

Right now we have the Patriots Airshow
… a private jet team that emulates what the Thunderbirds or the Blue
Angles do. Pretty cool stuff. The crowd seems light with only about an
hour before the Green Flag drops

IMS Productions @IMSProductions
Our followers are awesome! Who out there is ready for the #IndyCar #GoProGP @RaceSonoma?? Let’s hear your predictions!!

Will Power, Will Power, Will Power, Will Power, Will Power, Will Power, Will Power, Will Power …

IZOD IndyCar Series @IndyCar
Car No. 27 of Hinchcliffe sitting in the pits. #GoProGP #indycar2012
Hinchtown is out of the car – his day is over – oil line knocked off when Servia spun Hinch around on turn 11

Woodsie @WoodsiesGarage
Hinchcliffe now officially out of the race as we’re a few laps from
halfway. Helio makes a stop in the meantime. Lead now 6.93s #IndyCar

David Williams @DaveWilliamsVMM
Drive Through for Sebastián Saavedra #GoProGP #IndyCar

Dan Brown @19danbrown
I still maintain that the 360-degree on board cameras used in #IndyCar should be used for all open-wheel racing on tv #F1

LAP 50 of 85 – Ruling on Marco – will not get a penalty for engine
change by pulling in early … otherwise he would have stayed out until it
blew up spreading oil all over their track – Dixon is all out of
Push-To-Pass

T.S. Clayton @TSClayton9919
Damn, this @NBCSports crew is so much better than that horrible ABC garbage. #GoProGP #AlwaysBadCoverage

Cooper W @Cynon44
Marco Andretti intentionally blowing the engine so he doesn’t have to
take a penalty for the next race. Sneaky. #LoopholeInTheRules #IndyCar

17 cars on the lead lap with Will Power ahead of Ryan Briscoe by 7.45 seconds – Power is walking away with this bad boy

Matt Henderson @MHenderson17
Carcass is a funny word… RT @johncobb40: Is #IndyCar ever going to throw a caution for that tire carcass?

Big accident while Will Power happened to be in the pits – benefits
from Newgarden and Sebastien Bourdais colliding between turns 8 and 9 –
Bourdais loses control after dice after turn 7

LAP 65 of 85 – Will Power was held up on pit road giving the lead to Ryan Briscoe on lap traffic

YELLOW Flag – on LAP 66 – Top 5 Briscoe, Power, RHR, Franchitti, and
TAGS – This may be a long YELLOW Flag due to tire barrier getting wiped
out – Smart driving by Briscoe – Helio Castroneves has moved up to P9
after being dropped by penalty back to P25

LAP70 of 85 – 220 consecutive laps under GREEN Flag before this full
course caution – Everyone to the refrigerators – P2P has been
instrumental and Ryan Briscoe has a bunch more P2P left than Will Power

NASCAR Wonka @NASCAR_Wonka
Will Power on the radio: you guys in the pits need a push-to-hurry-the-hell-up button. #IndyCar #GoProGP

TJ @Tjamily
The older & wiser I get & the more indycar the more I realize
that sadly indycar officials just don’t get how to run a good series.
#indycar

LAP 72 of 85 – Field reset with the drive through order go out with
cars one lap down – RHR in P3 … Dario and TAGS are going to be pushing
RHR very hard – Penske being interviewed and he says he will not
entertain any team orders … Will Power ought to make a deal

NOTE: Chevrolet clinched the Manufacturers’
Championship as Ryan Briscoe won the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Chevrolet supplied 15 of 27 engines to the starters in the 85-lap race
on the 2.385-mile, 12-turn road course. It has won nine of the 13 IZOD
IndyCar Series races.

“We congratulate Chevrolet on clinching the 2012 Manufacturers’ Championship,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. “In
a year that saw the debut of a new car, the return of engine
competition and some of the fiercest racing this sport has seen in
decades, our hats are off to Chevrolet, its teams and drivers on a job
well done.”
[Reference Here]

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Target Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti unveiled culinary creations that will be available for purchase at the Drivers Cuisine Cantina during the MAVTV 500 INDYCAR World Championships at Auto Club Speedway. Image Credit: IZOD IndyCar Series

Auto Club Speedway Hosted Q And A With Dario Franchitti Of Target Chip Ganassi Racing

We are joined by four-time IZOD IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti, who drives for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. After winning the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship three years in a row, posting a season leading five pole positions in 12 races of a 15 race season (second is Will Power with three), winning the Indy500, and needing one more win to become the exclusive seventh all-time winningest driver in American open-wheel racing history here during the first season of the DW12 formula chassis. Let me intorduce myself, I'm Edmund Jenks (please call me Ed), and welcome to Motorsports Unplugged.

Hello, Ed.

There have been a few changes this season in American open-wheel racing, probably more changes than most seasons, what with the chassis, additional engine suppliers, a new director at Race Control and the rules that govern on-track relationships between drivers, technology nuances like push-to-pass and its many applications ... and finally, rules that govern the supply and performance of the new turbo-charged engines.

Question #1a - How has the change in attitude and management styles at Race Control - this includes Beaux Barfield and the entire staff - affected your approach and preparation to races this year? What one thing or area of race management stands out in your mind?

I don't think anything has really changed with the race management, it's just not any different, really. Ummm, definitely, the last group under Brian Barnhart did a good job and Beaux's continued that, Ummm so I haven't looked like a difference there ... as you have mentioned, Ed, everything is different though, with the new cars, the DW12, the engine suppliers, the engine war between Honda and Chevy going on its really been a whole fresh start for the IndyCar Series and, its not that there have not been teething problems but has brought some great racing.Question #1b - Yeah, it really been amazing the way, I guess, the cars have been able to mix it up over the old formula, although you did kinda' clip the wing in this last race (at Mid Ohio). In general the chassis seems very strong.

I hope that the chassis is strong, definately with the side-to-side contact and the design of the car now with the body work its eliminated some issues, Ummm trust me, the car is far from perfect, there's some issues with the suspension that when we put on the brakes that we definitely like to sort out but that cut in the wing at Mid Ohio was totally my fault and nothing to do with it (the suspension), the new design, just me makin' a mistake in judgement.

So, otherwise though, I think its performed quite well, obviously love some more horsepower from the engines if the series would allow us run more with something ... but the Honda has done a great job at gettin' some good horsepower that was fixed this year.

Question #2 - In this late season section of races, we have seen the implementation of Push-to-Pass - we have also seen its implementation take on a few technology wrinkles like 100 seconds to be used whenever as opposed to 10 second spurts - and a delay added to the reaction time when the button is pushed. Most people I talk with are confused, do you have an understanding of this tool and what would be your recommendation on how it might be used ... if at all.

I think there's a bit of a plus on that - I think the push-to-pass is a good thing, but at the same point that if both cars are on the push-to-pass, or on the overtaking, if you want to call it that, then it negates the whole thing, so we have to do something to change that, but we have to be careful not to be too gimmicky I would say. With the five second delay that is attached to it? - that when you press it you have to wait five seconds to activate, you ... it will only activates when you go full throttle ... we get some teething problems with that. Ummm, we can't make it too complicated otherwise the fans will ahh won't understand, I would say, they won't understand the intricacies with it ... the casual fan, anyway, not the hardcore fan will.

They are tryin' stuff and I like the fact they are mixing up trying to improve the racein' for the fans, and umm it probably needs a little bit of work but we'll get there.

Question #3 - Your brother, Marino Franchitti, is a talented and winning driver in his own right. His latest project has him developing a new concept in a racing platform known as the DeltaWing. A little less than a week ago, word was released that the Panoz developed, Nissan-powered and supported DeltaWing joined the competition of constructors vying for the contract to supply the new 2014 Indy Lights car. What do you think of the DeltaWing? Being that it was originally developed and considered in the competition that was eventually was won by the new DW12 here in the IndyCar Series, would you have preferred driving the DeltaWing as opposed to the DW12?

It was an interesting position to be in because my boss, and Scott Dixon's boss, the boss of the Target team, Chip Ganassi ... he was the guy who put up the money to develop the DeltaWing - and ummm - when I first saw it, it was totally unbelievable, I thought this thing is not going to work. I'm really not sure about it. So when it became a project for Le Mans and Marino found out that it worked in the turns and he said it drove pretty much just like a normal car but the performance was far exceeded and umm if they really get a chance to work on that with differentials and stuff, the performance of that car with only 300 horsepower it would be really significant.

I know it was a shame that they got taken out at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it was a real shame the way it ended there.

As far as Indy Lights, I think it would be a very interesting thing to have that as the car. The future ... would that train the future IndyCar drivers in the best possible way? I don't know.

Question #4 - How has the issues surrounding engine hours, engine changes, and the 10-spot penalty in qualifications effected your season and will it be a factor in closing out your season?

Ahh we've had a couple of engine issues. You know, the guys at Honda continue to absolutely improve the envelope - to get the most power, the best fuel consumption, and the possible improvement on a couple of issues since Iowa (the rest of the answer became inaudible). I think I'm on my 5th engine, I have one engine to go (more break up).

Question #5 - You are tied with Sebastien Bourdais (the only other active four-time IndyCar open wheel champion) and Paul Tracy for seventh all-time winning-est drivers - besides wanting to hold this seventh position exclusively, what other goals do you have in IndyCar and are there other racing goals outside of open wheel racing that you would like to pursue?

Obviously I have great pride in all of those wins, and the three Indianapolis 500s and the four championships, I'd like to have more wins, absolutely, especially at Indianapolis. But eventually I would love to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans I really think that is a race I'd like to do.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon saved fuel when he needed, kept the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car out of harm's way and took advantage of every opportunity. And his pit crew performed admirably, too. All told, it led to Dixon winning the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio for the fourth time in the past six years. His 29th victory tied Rick Mears for 10th all time. Image Credit: IICS (2012)

The Tale Of Two Mid Ohio's - How Will Power Secures Championship Chances

Last Sunday showed how one's fortunes on the track can translate into championship winning drives. Every race at the end of a season carries greater significance in competitive season championship races for the simple fact that EVERY POINT COUNTS.

Last year at Mid Ohio, Will Power was on his way to try and secure his first championship after having a couple of good races on which he was able to tighen up the points differential between him and his chief rival, Dario Franchitti. But last year, one would argue, was the one race on which he lost the championship for a second time to the driver from Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

This excerpted and edited from "... notes from The EDJE" -

No Magic For Power In Round 11 Of 17 At Mid-Ohio By Edmund Jenks - Monday, August 8, 2011

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, Round 11 of 17 delivered a fatal blow to Will Power's chances at getting his first IndyCar Series (ICS) season championship. The Verizon Penske Racing Dallara driver, who was on track to get the ICS championship last year up until the final race of the season when Dario Franchitti was able to eclipse Power's season points total, was looking to climb back into the challenge at 38 points behind and a perfect track for his talents, was caught out twice in pit stop strategy by full course cautions.

"We were making great fuel mileage and we were going to go a lap or two longer than the leaders on the second stop, which would have put us in great position to challenge for the race lead in the last stint," said Power of the Lap 58 incident involving contact between the cars of Graham Rahal and Danica Patrick. "Basically, today we suffered for doing a great job of driving a smart race. We just got caught out by that last yellow flag.”

This dropped Power to P16 and allowed Target Chip Ganassi team-mates to duke it out for the win with Scott Dixon passing Dario Franchitti on a restart to eventually take the win.

It may have been doubtful if Will Power had anything for the Scott Dixon Dallara because of how well the driver and car had been hooked up all weekend long (fastest Lap - 1:09.1271 / 76), but to finish so far down in the order with a competitive car (set 2nd fastest lap late in the race - 1:09.2376 / 85), placed a stake through the heart (a loss of 24 points against Franchitti - at 62 points behind) of Will Power's chances for a ICS season championship. In fact, with the points Scott Dixon gained with his win (he is now just 29 points behind Power with six races left), Will Power may not even become a repeat "bridesmaid" (runner-up) at season's end in 2011.
[Reference Here]

This brings us to Mid Ohio 2012, Round 12 of 15, where Will Power is in contest for the championship for a third year in a row and he enters this late season road course race much as he did last year. Power was displaced by Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay and Penske Racing team mate Helio Castroneves by 26 points and 3 points respectively.

As Power put it just after the first practice on Friday as the weekend began, "This new DW12 Indy car feels great here - lot's more power and more downforce - you can really get after a lap. We're bloody determined to get the pole here tomorrow. I think the entire Verizon 12 Chevy Team is very happy with today and the results. The weather is going to change a lot over the next day or so. It was good to get a fast clean lap and get confidence going into tomorrow. For the rest of the year we need to win poles and win races if we are going to win the Championship, it's pretty simple. We need to run well and fast to make up ground in the points race."

The Penske team delivered the best of all results providing that Will Power did not win the race. By securing the pole position in the Firestone Fast Six on Saturday, running the most laps during the race, and finishing P2 behind last year's race winning driver, Target Chip Ganassi's Scott Dixon (who, by winning, became the 10th most successful driver in IndyCar history), Will was able to come away with the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship points lead by 5 points.

Though Power was a little unhappy settling for second, he ultimately was pleased with the result, which put him back in the points lead. “These are such tight pit boxes here and (Dixon) had a clean in. We had a tight in so some of that was me getting in,” he said the pit road exchange. “It’s hard for the fuel to get in clean because he has to step back from my front wing to swing in. Still it’s a very good points day. We’re happy to get the Verizon car on the podium. We’ll keep chasing after it, we’ll get a win here soon and keep going after that championship.” Image Credit: IICS (2012)

This excerpted and edited from Pressdog -

Welcome to Mid-Ohio. Holy confusion! We got the NBC Sports Network team calling the race but it's on ABC. Here's the deal: ABC had the time slot, but not the people to do the race what with NASCAR Nationwide in Iowa and NASCAR Cup in Pocono. NBC Sports Network had the team to do the race but not the air time since the Olympics is taking up every second of their air. So .. BANG, the two worked together.----Pursuant to Rule 15.6.1, Cars 3 and 98 penalized 10 grid spots. Pursuant to Rule 14.14.6.4.1, Car 3 will start on Primary Tires. (Rule 14.14.6.4.1 says: "Within 30 minutes of the completion of final practice, an Entrant must declare via instant message system to INDYCAR which compound it intends to use at the start of the Race. Failure to comply will result in the Entrant being allocated the compound by INDYCAR.")

Festival of Three Wide into the first few turns. Nobody get bashed! We're through cleanly. The Circus Clowns are visibly upset that they didn't get to make an appearance.

Wilson has slight contact with Barichello and goes off, but keeps it fired and whips it around and back under way. Lot of dirt-tracky sliding out there. Simona De Silvestro and her pigged out Lotus even get some love for navigating the slick-ish track well.

Lap 3 -- Servia may be toast. He's being worked on. Replay of Wilson popping into Rubens and then going ass around. One of them racing deals. JoeNew is up four positions and Conway also up four positions in the first three laps.

Kevin tells us JoeNew has never raced here before, ever, but liked the track after the first practices.

Lap 5 -- Bourdais goes to the power to pass and inhales RHR. Jon gives a viewing-enhancing explanation. The deal is, IndyCar put a five second delay on Power to Pass for this race. When a driver hits the button, the other teams won't know he's on the Power to Pass until it actually activates, at which time it will be too late for the car in front to use P2P to defend. That's the thinking, anyway. Worked like a charm for Bourdais on RHR.

Lot of overtaking in the early going, especially for Mid-Ohio. Extreme amounts of overtaking for Mid-Ohio.

Marty says RHR says something is wrong with his car and he's being inhaled. Marty says he's also in fuel saving mode. Jon said the drivers can't go full rich here because of ... wait for it ... fuel strategy. YAY!

Lap 6 -- Bourdais is on the button (Power to Pass) again and round the outside of JoeNew. CLEAR. More televised overtaking.

Lap 7 -- Wilson overtakes Viso. Wilson has driven from P24 to P18 in about five laps after his spin.

Lap 7 -- Pitting starting. Cars that are going on a three pit-stop strategy will start pitting now. Those on a two pit stop strategy will pit around lap 28. This race is going to be about comparing and contrasting the one-stoppers versus the two-stoppers.

Lap 9 -- Helio pits to ditch primary tires and go to alternates. Alternates are allegedly more grippy but don't last as long as primary tires. Replays of a pit guy almost getting his foot run over by another car coming in due to the tiny pit stalls.

Lap 11 -- Kevin says Graham Rahal wants to get a deal done for 2013 in the next couple weeks. Rahal has sponsor cash and is shopping it around to teams, I guess. Not real fond of being one of the Ganassi Death Star Satellite teams, allegedly.

Lap 13 -- Viso got a drive-through penalty for speeding on pit lane. Bob says Sato got one two but the race summary says NO. No penalty listed for Sato.

Justin Wilson in. Right rear tire changer has issues! Major long stop. JWill not happy. The right rear must be beeeeyotch to get on this car because we've had about five right rear tire change issues so far this year alone.

I see a Ferris Wheel in the background. Crowd driver!* (*Denotes sarcasm and/or chagrin)

Lap 18 -- Ed Carpenter is up six spots ... (all due to pit stops in front of him).

Replay of Rubens under Marco ... CLEAR. Jon says Dario is on the button! Has used 25 seconds of his 100 allotment. Bog hits us with the points-as-they-run info for the first time today. WITH ONLY THREE RACES LEF.

Lap 28 -- Power, Dixon and Bourdais pit. Power and Dixon come back out P1 and P2. Bourdais back out in P4 behind Hinch who is a three-stopper. Dario slouches to P6.

Festival of three wide as cars overtake struggling Briscoe.

Lap 32 -- TK overtakes Bourdais. Bourdais stayed out until the leaders pit and TK is a three-stopper, so TK will have to pit soon.

Three Stop vs. Two Stop has evolved into The Big Story. If it stays green the whole way, the three-stoppers are screwed.

Lap 34 -- Dixon is pressing Power. Eyebrows raised. Is power "saving fuel?" Hmmm. Both may be saving fuel. Jon said both are "racing to a fuel number." Go about your business; nothing to see her except exhibition fuel saving driving.

Still no yellows. Back-to-back yellowless IndyCar races? Last happened in 1987.

Lap 44 -- Panther claims -- via Twitter -- that Briscoe is throwing a block party for JR. They have reported same to the authorities.

Lap 51 -- John raises the possibility that people lie on their radio and to the media about if they have enough fuel to make it. Nooooo. I'm SHOCKED* (*I am actually not shocked.)

Marty says RHR has no power. RHR is slowing down. Misfiring. Engine is a festival of shit. RHR is getting inhaled by everyone.

Lap 57 -- Power, Dixon, Bourdais and Dario (P1-4) all pit together. This could be the race ... Dixon out first. Dixon bests Power out. P1. P1. Second race in a row the ultimate pass for what should be the win happened on pitting. This time it was actually in the pits. Bourdais back out in P3. Replays. Dixon Fueler had a fraction of a second harder time getting in there.

Lap 61 -- RHR into the gravel, gives it the dirt track slide and keeps it going. Back onto the rack. No yellow. Impressive job there.

Bourdais also did some off-roading. Actually cooked a corner and let Pagenaud under him on Lap 61.

Bell says it's easy when you are used to judging passes based on how close you are to the rear gear box to forget the wheel guard things which stick back another foot until you pull out to pass and clip them.

Dario gets a new wing and is back out. Jay Penske gets air. JAY PENSKE. When Jay gets air you know we got some time on our hands. Next they will talk to Sarah Fisher, right before the sun freezes and drops from the sky.

Lap 76 -- RHR pits. Pull the engine cover. Can't fix it easily. Send him back out. He limps around until there's no more positions to lose then comes in and calls it a race. Jon makes a good observation that by doing that he can claim the engine issue cost him a DNF and won't have to pay a 10-grid-spot penalty to replace it because it technically blew during the race.

Wow. Last half of that race, not stirring. Just gotta be up front with you. Wasn't putrid, by any means. There was some overtaking well back in the pack and Bourdais choked away P3, but other than that ... The race was caution free, first time IndyCar had back-to-back zero-yellow races since 1987 per IndyCar PR.

Again, pretty classic road course stuff. Fuel saving, some overtaking in the pack (amazing for Mid-Ohio), strategy (two-stop vs. three-stop). A lot of people would hold this race up as "proper road racing." Whether or not you dig that is a matter of personal choice and preference, for sure.

IZOD IndyCar Series - Honda Indy 200 - LEXINGTON, Ohio

Results Sunday of the Honda Indy 200 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.258 mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

That's it for Mid-Ohio. Tune in again in three weeks for the race at Sonoma. Aug. 26 at 4:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network.
[Reference Here]

With only three races left, two road/street courses (Sonoma and Baltimore) and one super speedway oval (Fontana) will this be Will Power's year? As Will said himself at Mid Ohio, "For the rest of the year we need to win poles and win races if we are going to win the Championship, it's pretty simple."

Going into Mid Ohio 26 points behind and coming out of Mid Ohio with a 5 point lead, the magic is back in the hopes for Power's first championship after being the bridesmaid for two consecutive years.

Automobile racing tends to grab a young heart, early in life, and the feeling never lets go. Maybe, it's just the vibration and note of a well-tuned exhaust or the aerodynamic art of the racing platform design or just the automobile/sporting culture and nature of competition ... but once bitten, twice smitten; these are ... notes from The EDJE (pronounced edge)!